{"id":247062,"date":"2025-10-23T21:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T21:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/247062\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T21:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T21:49:09","slug":"i-asked-personal-trainers-what-is-the-one-piece-of-fitness-tech-you-cant-stop-recommending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/247062\/","title":{"rendered":"I Asked Personal Trainers: What Is the One Piece of Fitness Tech You Can’t Stop Recommending?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are countless pieces of fitness technology on the market today, making it challenging to determine which is best suited to your specific needs. Though I’ve tested many of these products over the years as CNET’s resident fitness expert<\/a>, I was curious to see what other experts recommend to their clients. That’s why I reached out to certified personal trainers<\/a> and physical therapists with the question: What is your number one favorite piece of fitness technology? This is what they recommended. <\/p>\n

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET<\/a> as a preferred Google source on Chrome.<\/p>\n

1. Massage guns<\/p>\n

A massage gun is a helpful tool to have on hand if you\u2019re looking for recovery relief. I\u2019ve tested many massage guns and have some personal favorites<\/a>. Certified personal trainer, running coach and massage therapist at Knead Massage<\/a>, Amanda Grimm recommends investing in one, especially if you exercise regularly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRegular use of a massage gun will reduce your recovery time between training sessions, allowing you to train more consistently and with more intensity,\u201d she says. Additionally, massage guns can help improve your range of motion, so you\u2019re prepped to take on any workout.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most obvious advantage that my clients report is decreased muscle soreness in the days after a tough session,\u201d explains Grimm. Taking your recovery seriously also has its advantages. The faster you feel recovered, the faster you can return to your next workout.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to using a massage gun, Grimm recommends using it before and after a workout for just a few minutes at a time. \u201cUsing a massage gun on a slower speed pre-workout allows us to target the major muscle groups that we’re going to be working, boosting the blood flow and increasing the available range of motion,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For post-workout, Grimm advises targeting the main muscle groups you focused on during your workout. \u201cUsing a medium intensity setting for one to two minutes will help flush out excess fluid and inflammation and kick-start the recovery process,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Grimm’s favorite massage guns include the Renpho R3 Mini Massage Gun and the Theragun Pro. \u201cI like the Renpho R3 because it\u2019s affordable and compact, making it a good choice to pop in your gym bag,\u201d she says. She notes that it\u2019s powerful for its size and price and features multiple speed settings, making it a versatile little tool.<\/p>\n

The Theragun Pro is her preferred professional-grade massage gun that she uses with all her clients. \u201cThe Theragun Pro is packed with great features, including an impressive 16mm amplitude (which is basically the depth of each \u2018hit\u2019 into your muscle tissue) and fantastic ergonomic design, with a rotating arm and really comfortable handle,\u201d she says. This is also CNET\u2019s best massage gun<\/a> pick, which we recommend for serious athletes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. An Apple Watch \"Apple <\/p>\n

The Apple Watch SE 3.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Hand Orellana\/CNET<\/p>\n

As someone who enjoys running, I\u2019ve always liked tracking my runs on an Apple Watch<\/a> because it\u2019s easy to read and seamlessly connects with my iPhone. Personal trainer, fitness coach and sports dietitian Umo Callins of Well Rooted Health and Nutrition<\/a>, based in Oklahoma City, also swears by the Apple Watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the different workout options it has to track, and I recommend fitness watches<\/a> to my clients who don\u2019t mind having something on their wrist and benefit from data,\u201d says Callins, adding, \u201cI find that my data-driven clients are more consistent with their lifestyle and physical activity when wearing fitness watches.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest Apple Watch Series 11<\/a> has added an FDA-cleared hypertension alert<\/a> feature, improved battery life and sleep tracking. Callins likes that the Apple Watch shows her activity trends on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Additionally, on days she isn\u2019t as active, it nudges her to get moving. \u201cI also like that it syncs to my Oura Ring<\/a>, which helps with learning about how my body recovers from day to day, my sleep patterns and overall readiness, which is a major part of what dictates my workouts,\u201d she adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Under-desk walking treadmill<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tested walking treadmills<\/a> previously and appreciate that they take up minimal space and allow you to multitask. Certified personal trainer, registered dietitian and owner of One Pot Wellness<\/a>, Wan Na Chun swears by her under-desk treadmill. \u201cAs someone who works from home, a walking pad helps me stay active instead of sitting for long periods,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chun also recommends walking pads to clients, who have loved how simple they are for incorporating more daily movement. This is because the walking pad makes staying active more accessible, regardless of weather or busy schedules. Chun particularly enjoys using the Kingsmith Walk and Work<\/a> walking pad and says she\u2019s been using it for years while taking calls, reading or doing work on her computer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chun recommends that clients use a walking pad as a low-impact option to help them get steps in primarily, but says it shouldn\u2019t be their only form of exercise. \u201cAn under-desk treadmill is meant to complement your structured workouts by keeping the body active in small and sustainable ways throughout the day,\u201d Chun explains. She says that, on average, she can easily clock in about 5,000 steps daily at a slow pace and adds, \u201cI particularly find it helpful during the winter months when I\u2019m less active outdoors because of poor weather conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Whoop band \"The <\/p>\n

The Whoop 5.0 band.<\/p>\n

Whoop<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re serious about your recovery and want to track that data, Ed Gemdjian, general manager and certified personal trainer at The Gym Venice<\/a>, recommends the Whoop band<\/a>. Gemdjian specializes in working with clients age 40 and older. He says, \u201cIt gives clear daily readiness for work and training by combining heart rate variability, resting heart rate and sleep quality.\u201d This allows him to use the data provided by the device to match the training load to recovery for his clients. \u201dThis is especially valuable for our over-40 clients who thrive with smart progression and appropriate recovery,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Gemdjian understands the importance of sleep and being well recovered, and the Whoop offers him better insight into his clients\u2019 habits. \u201cWe review sleep metrics and provide sleep hygiene coaching to address common non-medical issues such as inconsistent bedtimes, caffeine timing and screen use before bed,\u201d he says. The Whoop is a good screenless wearable option that provides the wellness data you need without getting in the way during sleep or when you\u2019re in the gym.<\/p>\n

5. Body composition tracking \"gettyimages-1304588571.jpg\" <\/p>\n

A DEXA scan can give you insights into your fitness progress.<\/p>\n

Kalinovskiy\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

If you have access to a DEXA scan or an InBody scan<\/a>, these are some of the best ways to track your progress. This type of assessment is usually done in a gym or a practitioner\u2019s office that carries this type of equipment, as it\u2019s not available to consumers. The DEXA scan is considered the gold standard for measuring everything from bone mineral density (it\u2019s mainly used for osteoporosis screenings<\/a>), lean muscle mass, fat mass, hydration levels and much more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It gives you the closest accurate data about your body versus hopping on a scale that simply weighs you. Gemdjian uses these tools with his clients to get a baseline at onboarding and then rechecks every eight to 12 weeks to see if there have been any physiological changes. \u201cWe coach to trends, not single numbers, so if skeletal muscle mass is up and visceral fat is down, we know we are on the right track even if body weight has not moved much,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are countless pieces of fitness technology on the market today, making it challenging to determine which is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":247063,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[337,97],"class_list":{"0":"post-247062","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}